Building wall structure



April 24, 1956 J. E. PElRcE 2,742,776

BUILDING WALL STRUCTURE Filed Match 23. 1951 20 26 Ellrg,

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INVENTOR.

A JOHN E. PEIRCE" AGENT.

United States Patent O F BUILDING WALL STRUCTURE John E. Peirce, Arlington, N. Y., assigner to Allied Chemical & Dye Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York ApplicationMarch 23,1951, Serial No.217,274

2 Claims. (Cl. I2- 16) This invention relates vto a method for constructing buildings and to the building construction obtained thereby, and in particular to meansfor joining building slabs or similar panel type members to supporting structural beams.

The usual method for joining building units i. e., application of mortar or other wet adhesive type material to bricks or `cinder blocks is time consuming, requires skilled labor and is, therefore, expensive. f More recently, prefabricated asbestos, metal and composition sidings have been developed which may be fastened to supporting structural beams by any of a variety of means such as metal fasteners or clips. One disadvantage of such prefabricated siding type construction has been that the fastenings are relatively weak and will not withstand erosion and other abuse to which they are inevitably subjected in the course of events. Further, although a pleasing appearance maybe presented by one side (generally the outside) of a wall so constructed, the other side (inside) invariably presents an unfinished appearance and requires additional and expensive treatment to cover up unsightly areas. A stillfurther and perhaps most important objection of all, is that such siding contributes nothing to the support of'the'wall, but on the contrary is completely dependent for support upon other structural members such as supporting H beams and cross and diagonal bracing members. Hence, it has been necessary Vto resort to use of supporting members e. g. steel H beams of greater weight and strength than would otherwise be necessary.

Objects of the present invention include development lof means for joining building unitsy or panels such as concrete slabs with supporting H beam framework by a ljoint which presents a relatively smooth and finished ap pearance on both the inside and the outside of the wall, and in particular a joint fashioned in such a way that the building units or panels, for example reinforced concrete slabs,.contribute appreciably to the structural strength of the "H beam framework. A particular object is to develop a wall vconstruction that can be fabricated with simple equipment and unskilled labor.

An understanding of my invention may be best obtained from a considerationof the attached drawings in which like reference numbers indicate the same part in vthevarious figures.

Fig. l is an elevation view Vof a wall constructed principally of concrete 'slabs and H beams according to my invention, with a portion of the slab part of the wall shown 'broken away to reveal moreclearly the steel framework.

Fig. 2 is a broken horizontal section to a larger scale than Fig. l of a portion of the wall taken along plane y2--2 of Fig. l, with part of the framework shown in phantom.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectionto the same scale as Fig.-2 of aportion of the Vl--l beam-concrete slab joint taken along plane v3--3 :of Eig. 2.

.Reference number 5 (Shown in Fig. 1) indicates generally the reinforced concrete slab H beam wall con- 2,742,776 Patented'Apr. 24, 1956 ice in the concrete foundation 7 to afford rigid support.

Lateral bracing channel ironsjll and lzr'w'eldeclv to the vertical members at the point of contact are furnished to contribute additional rigidity to the framework. If desired, suitable diagonally disposed bracing angles (not shown in the drawings) may be spot welded externally to the H beams to act as bracing members duringfabrication,` and subsequently removedafter the wall construction has been completed. Footings 9 may be supplied, the type depending upon well known factors, such as the weight of wall to be supported and whether the structure is built on e. g. rock or less firm material.

Horizontally disposed between adjacent H beams so that opposite far edges substantially overlap the flanges of the H beams are concrete slabs 15 which rest one on top of the other so that the horizontal edges of adjacent slabs abut and preferably interfit with each other as at 18. The bottom slab 15 rests on the top of foundation 7. These slabs are preferably of tongue and groove construction as shown in Fig. 3 or if desired may be of shiplap or merely butt joint construction. The slabs are preferably inserted in position betweenv adjacent H beams merely by first inserting one end of the slab snugly against web 17 then, while maintaining the slab in a horizontal position, swinging the opposite end into position near web 17 of the adjacent H beams, and then lowering the slab to rest on the one below and adjusting the position of the slab so that the clearance at each end is about the same. According to said preferred embodiment of the invention, the clearances between the vertical edges 16 of slabs 15 and the adjacent webs 17 of H beams 6 at both ends of the slab are made sulllciently great so that said opposite end clears flange 21 or 26 when swung into position as described. The above corresponds with minimum 'clearance between vertical edge i6 and web 17 of about half the length of flanges 21 or 26 at each end of the 'slab as shown in Fig. 2. The advantage of simplicity of fabrication is thereby afforded; the slabs may be inserted with inexpensive hand labor and expensive hoisting equipment is not required. However, if it is desired to use longer slabs (i. e. smaller clearances) in a particular case, the slabs may be laid into place by lowering them with suitable hoisting equipment between the flanges of adajcent H beams and continuing the operation unt-il the wall has been built as high as desired, for example, tothe top of the H beams. Y,

The detail of the joint between H beam and concrete slab upon which the remarkable success of this invention largely depends, may be best understood by considering Fig. 2. Aligned horizontally elongated concrete slabs 15, as shown, extend between the adjacent vertical H beams with the vertical slab edges 16 extending to the vicinity of but as shown appreciably short of the H beam web 17 and having a portion 20 of the slab overlapping and being adjacent to the inside of therilange on one end (preferably an outside end flange 21) of the` beam web 17. It is seen therefore that the H beam is mounted with its web portion 17 extending between the edges of the aligned concrete slabs disposed on opposite sides of the beam. Overlapping portions 20 of slab 15' are preferably .spaced from outside flanges 21 by thin gasket material 22 which is suitably formed of rubber-like material.

Triangular wooden blocks 25 are disposed against the inside surface of flanges 26 on the opposite (inside) end of the beam web 17. These blocks are -so formed that but also against adjacent portions of web"17.` Blocks '25 taper outwardly from the web to provide a sliding surface 27 which is inclined with respect to the general plane of flange 26. In some instances the flanges of H beams are so formed as to inherently provide the equivalents of surfaces 27 in which case blocks 25 are unnecessary.

Wooden wedges 30, having a surface 31 disposed at right angles to the beam flanges and an angular or tapered surface 32 are mounted between slabs 15 (in Contact with surface 31) on the one hand and flange 26 and block 25 (bearing against inclined surface 32 of wedge 30) on the other hand. Means for forcing together wedges 30 and utilizing the wedging action thereof consist of threaded bolt 35 extending through hole 37 in web 17, nut 36 and suitable washers associated therewith. As will be apparent from Fig. 2, when nut 36 is tightened on bolt 35, the pair of wedges 30 are forced inwardly toward each other and block surfaces 31 and 32 slide inwardly along the adjacent surfaces of slabs 15 and block 25. This wedging action of members 30 exerts force outwardly against slabs 15, gaskets 22 and flanges 21 and thereby clamp slabs 15 tightly in the space between flanges 2l and 26, i. e, in proximity to flange 21. lt is noted that the dimension of a block 30 in the direction of the axis of bolt 35 is considerably less than the width of flange 26 to thus insure a space between the inner face of block 30 and the adjacent face of web 17 to facilitate and to avoid limiting the wedging action described. The facility of mounting the slabs and assembling the joint makes possible the use of unskilled labor for these operations, which is an outstanding advantage of the invention.

H beams of the type under consideration are commonly used as framework to support walls of buildings. They are generally known to have ample strength and stiffness in the direction of the plane of the web, that is, in this instance, in a plane perpendicular to thc wall. However, f

in the direction of the plane of the flanges (perpendicular to the plane of the web) an underlying weakness inheres in this type of beam from the very nature of the construction. Hence, in most instances when employing H beams for wall construction, particularly when using Prefabricated siding, it has been necessary to supply supplementary lateral support in the direction of the plane of the H beam flanges. As will now be apparent from the above description, the tight joint effected between slabs 15 and flanges 21 and 26 by means of the clamping action of members 30 and the cooperating elements affords substantial and crucial lateral support to and between adjacent H beams 6, thereby contributing substantially to the strength of the overall wall construction or even making possible use of lighter weight and therefore less expensive structural steel Without sacrifice of wall strength.

The structure of the building corner is described in detail in Fig. 2. Vertical angle iron 10, which is described above, is supported on foundation 9, and is provided with multiple horizontal threaded bolts 40 welded internally along corner 41 and disposed vertically at regular intervals. Wooden block 42 which preferably extends substantially continuously for the entire vertical height of angle iron bears against the corner ends of slabs 15 and by tightening nuts 45, the corner ends 43 of slabs are forced against gaskets 46, thereby effecting a tight seal between angle iron 10 and slabs 15 and a strong corner wall structure,

Although the wedges 30 and blocks 25 may be formed in separate segments, it is preferred to utilize blocks and wedges which are substantially elongated in form and extend preferably for substantially the entire vertical height of H beams 6 as more clearly shown in Fig. 3. ln instances where the H beams are relatively high and it is inconvenient to supply blocks and wedges of continuous length equal to the beams, said blocks and wedges may be formed in segments, the aggregate of said segments preferably extending for substantially the entire vertical height of the H beams. Bolt and nut clamping means and 36 are provided at relatively frequent intervals, thereby affording, in conjunction with the elongated blocks and wedges, not only a more nished and therefore pleasing surface on the inside of the wall construction but also providing an even greater rigidity and strength of the wall. Further, by providing wedges and blocks for the entire height of the beam, the web and internal flange portions of the beam are protected from contact with possibly corrosive materials, and hence maintenance expenses are reduced.

Various modifications may be made to the specific structure described without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention. For example, the slab may be formed of material other than reinforced concrete so long as the material used possesses the desired strength and other characteristics required of a material of construction. Similarly, the wedges and blocks may be constructed of material other than wood. Although triangular block member 25 has been described as being a separate unit of structure, if desired it may be formed integrally with flange 26. The H beams may be constructed of material having sufficient strength, etc. other than steel and having a general H-shaped cross-section. Other means may be provided for forcing together wedges 30 although the bolt and nut clamping means extending through aperture 37 in web 17 as described above is preferred. A dry horizontal joint 18 has been described between the horizontal edges of slabs 15 but suitable mortar or gasket material may be utilized if a tighter wall construction is sought for. It is also possible to take advantage of increased structural strength and other advantages afforded by use of the joint of the present invention by providing horizontal H beams and joining vertically disposed slabs therebetween according to the method described herein.

The wall construction of this invention has been found to be particularly suitable for use in storage bins in which it is desired to store bulky and heavy material under possibly corrosive conditions. However, the invention is not limited to such structure but may be applied to any type of building. Similarly, although the wedges have been described as being disposed on the inside wall surfaces, this may be altered and the wedges mounted on the outside surface.

The sizes of the various elements such as slabs, H beams, etc. which form the wall structure of the present invention are not limited. However, it has been found that reinforced concrete slabs 2% in. x 16 in. x 9 ft. 9 in, long are suitable in a wall construction supported by vertical 6 in. 15.5 pounds standard H beams laterally supported by 8 in. 11.5 pounds standard channels (at 11 on the drawing) and l2 in. 20.7 pounds standard channels at 12. Gaskets 22 and 46 may suitably be rubber 1/4 in. thick and 11/2 to 2 in. wide. Blocks 25 may be tapered to provide a 3A: in. rise for the 2% in. length of llange 26. Wedge 30 may be 1% in. thick and have an overall width of 21/2 in. Bolts 35 may be 1/1. in. dia. x 7 in. long and placed on approximately 3 ft. centers. Corner angle 10 may be 8 in. x 8 in. in section x 1/2 in. thick and bolt 40 and block 42 in proportion with wedge 30 and bolt 35 as shown in Fig. 2.

I claim:

l. A building wall construction comprising in combination, (1) a plurality of vertically aligned wall sections, each composed of a series of horizontally extending concrete slabs having contiguous upper and lower edges and having ends terminating in vertically extending alignment, said slabs providing the inner and outer faces of the wall; and (2) a joint between adjacent wall sections comprising a foundation-supported, vertically extending beam having an H-shaped cross-section, the web portion of said beam being disposed between the vertically extending aligned ends of said slabs and the pair of flange segments on either side of said web receiving said aligned ends therebetween and extending but a short distance beyond said ends, means associated with each of the inside ange segments of said web, said means being tapered outwardly from the web and toward the flange segment and bearing against the adjacent portion of the web to provide a sliding surface inclined with respect rto said inside ange segment, a pair of cooperating wedgesy on opposite sides of said web, each wedge being disposed between said series of slabs and the adjacent inside angc segment and being adapted to slide along said inclined surface, said tapered means and wedge being substantially coextensive vertically with the aggregate of the vertical edges of adjacent slabs, and means extending through an aperture in said web for forcing said wedge` and each slab in tight engagement with and between the pair of ange segments receiving the same, whereby said slabs and joint coact to provide rigidity and strength to the wall.

2. A building wall construction comprising in combination, (l) a plurality of vertically aligned wall sections,r

each composed of a series of horizontally extending concrete slabs having contiguous upper and lower edges free of adhesive-type material and having ends in vertically extending alignment, said slabs providing the inner and outer faces of the wall; and (2) a joint between adjacent wall sections comprising a foundation-supported, vertically extending steel H beam, the web portion of said beam being disposed between they vertically extending aligned ends of said slabs and the pair of ange segments on either side of said web receiving said aligned ends therebetween and extending but a short distance beyond said ends, the outside flange segments being spaced from adjacent slabs by thin gasket material, a block disposed against each of the inside flange segments of said web, said block being tapered outwardly from the web and toward the flange segment and bearing against the adjacent portion of the web to provide a sliding surface inclined with respect to said inside flange segment, a pair of cooperating inwardly acting wedges on opposite sides of said web, each wedge being disposed between said series of slabs and the adjacent inside flange segment and being adapted to slide along said inclined surface, said tapered block and wedge being substantially coextensive vertically with the aggregate of the ver-tical edges of adjacent slabs, and multiple bolt means extending through apertures in said web for forcing said Wedge and each slab in tight engagement with and between the pair of flange segments receiving the same, whereby said slabs and joint coact to provide rigidity and strength'to. the wall.

References Cited in the ile of this, patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,039,830 Simpson Oct. 1, 1912 1,489,274 Petty Ap'r. 8, 1924 2,079,635 Sharp May 11, 1937 2,095,037 Reintjes Oct. 5, 1937 2,146,960 Kuss Feb. 14, 1939 2,172,766 Kuhner Sept. 12, 1939 2,387,431 DuLaney Oct. 23, 1945 2,437,509

Dawson Mar. 9, 1948 

